[fund] persecution of opposition

Iranian female journalists are veterans of government closure of their print publications and early Internet ventures. Now they are prevailing against the region's most advanced censoring and monitoring software. Iranian women have pushed the battle for equal rights online even as security forces aggressively monitor the Internet and shut down pro-democracy Web sites that fall out of step with the regime. "Every print magazine for women we had was closed," Parvin Ardalan said in a recent phone interview from Sweden. "So we created a new world for ourselves in cyberspace."

Anti-government protests in Kyrgyzstan have escalated violently, with 17 people killed as police clashed with demonstrators in the capital, Bishkek.Protesters attacked President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's offices and stormed the state TV and radio headquarters, taking them briefly off air. There are reports police fired live rounds after failing to disperse people with tear gas and stun grenades. President Bakiyev has declared a state of emergency in protest-hit areas.

A small group of women being held in Evin Prison held an event on the occasion of March 8th, International Women’s Day. In this event, Aliyeh Eghdamdoost read a small history of this international day. After this event, the head prosecutor of Evin Prison summoned Mrs. Eghdamdoost and has accused her of “reading articles; giving a speech for females on International Women’s Day, and inciting women’s activities; malicious propaganda against the regime; insulting the President and Supreme Leader; and promoting socialism”.

Recent developments in Iran have prompted fears that the Iranian authorities are once more using executions as a tool to try and quell political unrest, intimidate the population and send a signal that dissent will not be tolerated. There was a noticeable surge in the rate of executions at the time of mass protests over last year's disputed Presidential elections. Although many of the executions were for criminal offences committed before the unrest, they sent a chilling message to those involved in protests.

Dear Ms. Navanethem Pillay, The undersigned non-governmental organisations (NGOs) express their grave concerns about the ongoing media and legal campaigns being carried out by Bahraini authorities to stifle freedom of expression and deter the activism of human rights defenders (HRDs). Many HRDS have also been subject to harassment, prosecution, indictment and imprisonment. In addition, independent journalists have been taken to court for critical writings, and blogs and websites have been censored. As such, we are pleased to hear of your upcoming country visit to Bahrain in April, and request that you include the following cases and information in your assessment.

Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, has warned foreign election observers that his government "will cut off their fingers and put them under our shoes" if they urge the country to delay next month's elections. Bashir, who is seeking to win another term in the 11 April polls, was responding to a statement issued last week by observers from the US-based Carter Centre, which said a minor postponement may be required to address logistical difficulties. The vote is scheduled to be the first competitive election in Sudan in 24 years.

Human rights defender Ms Mahboubeh Karami was arrested on 2 March 2010. Mahboubeh Karami is a member of the One Million Signature Campaign, a movement which aims to end discriminatory laws against women in Iran. Front Line previously issued an appeal in relation to the arrest and detention of Mahboubeh Karami on 2 April 2009.